healthsystemCIO – Strategies for Hospital IT Leaders

For the better part of a decade – from 2010 to 2020 – CIOs were busy implementing and optimizing their EMRs. And since 2020, it’s been all about cost cutting via application rationalization, integration and, of course, security. But there’s another massive challenge that stands to benefit from CIO leadership – the journey from a […] Source: Q&A with KLAS VP of Imaging Informatics & Oncology Moniqu...

Unless they work for technology companies, CIOs aren’t technology executives, according to Maria Sexton, CIO at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Rather, they are business executives with technology expertise. It’s a nuanced definition, she admits, but one whose understanding makes all the difference. And with that understanding comes a change in approach from […] Source: Q&A with...

“I want to avoid rushing into things and making mistakes you can’t recover from,” said Donna Roach, CIO at University of Utah Health. In this interview, she talked about the value of doing things “in a thoughtful way,” the platform-first approach her team has adopted, and what they’re learning by letting users play in the AI sandbox. Source: Q&A with University of Utah Health CIO Donna Roach: “Cha...

Whereas AI has some excessive enthusiasm around it (especially in the clinical realm), automation is a no-brainer. Well, not exactly. That's because -- though automation may work magic when done on the right workflow, at the right time, and in the right way -- getting all three right (without understanding some nuances) is a long shot. In this practical and timely webinar, we'll speak to leaders a...

On most days in cyber, it can seem like there are a million things to do. For Jim Kuiphof and his team, that was probably the case in 2022 when Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health merged to become 22-hospital strong Corewell Health. Of course, there was much foundational work to be done, but Kuiphof notes […] Source: Q&A with Corewell Health Deputy CISO Jim Kuiphof: “Proper Prioritization a Key to...

It’s the key question all CISOs have to ask themselves – especially those at small- to mid-sized organizations whose cyber teams run in the single digits as opposed to hundreds: how do I operate so as to get the biggest bang for my limited buck? For Blaine Hebert, VP and CISO at Yuma Regional Medical, […] Source: Q&A with Yuma Regional Medical Center VP/CISO, Blaine Hebert: “Getting the Basics Rig...

With organizations heavily focused on EHR rollouts and optimizations, the “critically important” administrative systems took a back seat, said Craig Kwiatkowski. In this interview, he talks about the “major overhaul” Cedar-Sinai has undergone to centralize services, the keys to success with its Accelerator program, and his interesting career background. Source: Cedars-Sinai CIO Craig Kwiatkowski T...

You might think a former drill sergeant turned CISO would lead with a ‘my way or the highway approach,’ but for Terry Grogan, VP of IT Assurance & CISO at Tower Health, that couldn’t be further from the truth. That’s because, according to Grogan, such leadership will only see you followed when seas are calm, […] Source: Q&A with Tower Health VP of IT Assurance & CISO Terry Grogan: “CISO Success Hi...

Recent industry-shaking events have made it clear that serious points of risk lurk throughout healthcare. They’ve also revealed that operational risk and IT security risk are deeply intertwined, making it incumbent for CISOs and CIOs to work with others in their health systems – from the chief risk officers, to clinical leaders, to emergency management – to help develop a joint picture of third-pa...

Enterprise imaging is similar in scope to the EHR, and it allows clinical users to properly identify, acquire, store, manage and visualize imaging studies from across their enterprise, regardless of device, modality, department, service line or location. Historically, each imaging department made its own decisions and purchases regarding these services, often resulting in siloes with significant s...

The IT stack of the past cannot service the health system of the future. That’s one of the main sentiments that runs through the following thoughts offered by Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS) SVP/CIO Will Landry. For example, legacy and on-prem technology cannot provide the business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities that […] Source: Q&A with Franciscan Mission...

It's the dirty little secret among healthcare cyber professionals -- they don't know where all their ePHI is; not even close. And while those professionals are not to blame (healthcare workflows and, thus, data flows are messy business); they do have to get their arms around the problem. The first step? Understand it. In this unique webinar, we'll explore the results of a Ponemon study on the stat...

With the right strategy and partnerships in place, there’s a way to “address the health system’s key challenges around capacity constraints while emphasizing patient comfort and privacy,” said Heather O’Sullivan, President of the Healthcare at Home Division at Mass General Brigham. In a recent interview, she talked about what it takes to break with tradition and establish a new model for care deli...

Savvy healthcare IT security professionals are as focused on an efficient recovery if something goes down as they are on keeping the enterprise up. And to be positioned for success around recovery, it's imperative business continuity plans are right sized to address the large amounts of data that health systems are amassing every day. In this timely webinar, we'll speak to leaders who know that --...

For a whole host of reasons -- security, cost and interoperability to name a few -- heath systems are looking to shrink the number of vendor/partners they work with. To that end, hospitals have launched application rationalization efforts seeking to retire one-offs or little used apps, along with raising the bar to bring in new ones. One area where this effort has run into challenges is around pat...

They represent the crown jewels for cybercriminals -- legitimate login credentials that will allow them an undetected entrance to your network. And while security executives are doing everything possible -- such as extensive training and phishing tests -- to guard against compromise, it's not a question of if but when someone will make a mistake and accidentally divulge their coveted username and...

There’s an old parenting saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Of course, it’s meant to get parents off the hook for not demonstrating the behavior they want emulated. Unfortunately, it rarely works, as the disconnect between talk and action isn’t lost on the little ones. When it comes to recent conferences, some […] Source: HIMSS24 Conference Wrap: Keith Duemling Says Recent Events Prove Cyber Warr...

Then only thing that’s constant is change, which means the key is being observant. At least that seems to be the key when navigating the industry’s changing mega-conference dynamic. In the spring, there used to be just HIMSS, with the CHIME Spring Forum affixed to the front-end. Now, CHIME partners with HLTH on ViVE. With […] Source: HIMSS24 Conference Wrap: Mike Mistretta Says, as Conferences Evo...

All the fancy apps in the world won’t do users a bit of good if the network is down. And, in fact, sometimes having a bunch of fancy apps from different vendors introduces the type of complexity that makes it more likely the network will, in fact, go down. So it’s no surprise that a […] Source: Partner Perspective: Application Rationalization Combined with a Move Towards Zero Trust Will Improve Ch...

Like any cost center, IT departments are continually asked to spend less, without reducing either the quantity or quality of services they provide. If it sounds like a tall order, it is. That's why many health systems, though they've tried mightily over the past few years, have seen limited success in doing more with less. But, believe it or not, there are ways to drive down spend that can leave a...

With resources becoming increasingly scarce, it’s more important than ever to prioritize value, said Inderpal Kohli, CIO at Englewood Health. During a recent interview, he talked about what it means to be “a use case and outcomes-driven organization,” how he works to connect his team with the mission of the organization, and the real challenge with digital transformation. Source: Q&A with Englewoo...

The cloud can be a magical place of value and optimization – but only yields its secrets to those with the expertise to master it. The problem is that many health systems moved in too quickly or without that expertise, leaving IT executives in the position of having to go back and retro fit important […] Source: Live @ HIMSS Partner Perspective Q&A with Mike Reinhart, Chairman & CEO, Quisitive: Th...

Healthcare is dynamic, some might even say chaotic. Anyone who has spent five minutes in a busy hospital will attest to the fact that caregivers, patients and equipment move through the hallways, and in and out of rooms, at a dizzying pace. And with all that movement, it's no surprise those same caregivers are often slowed down when they can't find someone or something they need. In response to th...

As the old expression goes, time is money. For executives like Keith Duemling, Senior Director of Cybersecurity Technology Protection, Cleveland Clinic, time is also about focus. That’s why he’s laser focused while at shows like HIMSS on finding ways to better protect the clinic’s patients and their data. To that end, exhibit floor games that […] Source: HIMSS Conference Preview: Keith Duemling on...

When IT folks are handed just about any situation, they find solutions – it’s in the DNA. So it’s not surprising that when Mike Mistretta, SVP & CIO at VHC Health System, was handed finished plans for a new outpatient building, he and his team went to work outfitting it with the latest and greatest […] Source: HIMSS Conference Preview: Mike Mistretta on Reimagining the Outpatient Experience; The I...